A record drought has forced the closure of almost 200 fish farms in central Thailand, local media report.

The closures come as the worst drought in over 20 years decreased water levels and increased salinity in rivers throughout the country, according to MThai news website.

Withaya Preechaphan, a local fish farmer in Chainat province, told MThai that the drought had caused his fish to die out and made his business unsustainable.

On Tuesday, the government declared 26 out of 76 provinces as disaster zones because of the drought, an increase from the previous week's total of 23.

The department said it dispatched more than 450 water trucks on Tuesday to carry water to the hardest-hit areas.

200 Thai fish farms close over drought | SBS News